The Fairfield University women's basketball team earned its third consecutive win with a 55-26 victory over the University of Albany Wednesday night at Alumni Hall. The Stags improve to 7-3 on the year, while the Great Danes fall to 7-5.

The 26 points allowed by Fairfield's defense is the lowest point total by an opposing team in the program's 30-year Division I history. The Stags held Albany to 10 second-half points as the Great Danes shot 4-31 from the field in the half. Albany was 9-56 (16.1%) from the field for the game, and was 2-16 from behind the arc. It is the second lowest point total in the team's varsity history as well, as the Stags 1975-76 Division III team defeated Western Connecticut 96-24. Albany is the second team in as many years to be held under 30 points at Alumni Hall by Fairfield, as the Stags defeated Lafayette 52-29 November 18, 2009.

Three Stags finished in double figures for the game, led by the 13 points of Desiree Pina (Plainville, Conn.). Johnson added 12 points and Nawrocki added 10 points for the Stags, who shot 41.7 percent from the field for the game. Fairfield had a 46-32 edge in rebounds, but turned the ball over six additional times, 22-16. Johnson had a team-high nine rebounds, as well as four blocked shots and both Fairfield steals. Katelyn Linney (Freehold, N.J.) finished with nine points. Laura Vetra (Riga, Latvia) came off of the bench to score seven points and haul down seven rebounds.

Albany scored the first four points of the game and held the Stags scoreless until Pina knocked down a jumper 4:41 into the game. The basket sparked an 8-0 run for Fairfield, which took a four-point edge with 13:06 remaining in the first –half. Ebone Henry knocked down the Great Danes first three-point field goal of the night to get within one points, 8-7 (12:19), but Fairfield did not allow another point for Albany until a pair of Melia Basavan free throws with 3:25 to play in the period.

During the nearly eight minute Albany scoring drought four Stags scored 11 unanswered points and opened a 19-7 lead. Joelle Nawrocki (Unionville, Conn.) had four of those points, while Linney, three points, and Brittany MacFarlane (Hamilton, Ontario) and Taryn Johnson (Brockton, Mass.), two points apiece, each scored as well. The Basavan free throws began a half-ending run for Albany, which scored seven of the final nine points to close the halftime deficit to 21-16.

Albany scored first in the second-half on a Julie Forster jumper in the paint but would get no closer than that, 21-18. Fairfield used a 13-4 spurt over the next 6:30 of play to push its advantage to 12 points, 34-22 with 12:56 remaining in the game. Forster converted two free throws for the Great Danes with 12:37 remaining to get Albany within 10 points, 34-24. 

The Stags responded by not allowing Albany to score for over eight minutes, holding the Great Danes to 0-11 from the field, with three turnovers during the stretch. Fairfield scored 11 points of its own while holding Albany scoreless to open a 45-24 lead with 4:45 to play. Cassandra Callaway ended the Albany drought with a jumper 30 seconds later, but the Stags did not give up another point.

Albany did not have a player score more than six points on the night, with Forster and Callaway both tallying that point total. Forster corralled a game-high 10 rebounds as well as recording two steals and blocking a shot.

The Stags will wrap-up the non-conference portion of the schedule on December 28 at N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C. That game will tip-off at 1 p.m.